


Promises

by Tomhollandsfandom



Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: M/M, Memory Loss, Sad and Happy, interwebs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 16:52:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18642172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tomhollandsfandom/pseuds/Tomhollandsfandom
Summary: Ned and Peter are in a relationship when Peter loses his memory. It affects them both greatly, read to find out what happens to their relationship afterwards.





	Promises

Never fall in love with a superhero. I wish someone had told me that before I did. Not that it mattered, I had loved him way before he became a hero.   
  
The light he carried in eyes, there was so much hope and joy, despite the loss of his parents. The laughter that lifted the room, it was contagious, you found yourself laughing without a care in the world. The kindness he shared with anyone and everybody around him, when you'd ask him about it, he'd deny it being kind, he called it being human. His smile felt like a peek of his soul with how bright it shone. He had terrible days, I had seen them myself, yet he never lost himself, he was always true to what he believed in. If you needed an example of what God had intended for humans, Peter would be the best example. He learned early on that selfishness doesn't reward you, it takes away things you've taken for granted.   
  
When he became a hero, the light he had before dimmered, he was tired, but his qualities never changed. Sometimes they felt muffled, but they were always there. His laughter, his kindness, his smiles, they brought the best version of anyone out. I had fallen for my best friend without noticing, it wasn't until I saw him in danger. I acted on instinct, the entire night of our Homecoming, I had acted on instincts. I spent the rest of the night worrying about him, he didn't call, text, didn't tell me he was okay.   
  
The next day, at school, I didn't let it show that I had worried all night, barely slept, instead I praised him for his amazing job.  
  
At the time, neither of us knew our feelings were mutual. It wasn't until years later that we found out how much one another means to each other. 

 

 

 

One night, Peter didn't want May to worry about his patrol for the night, he lied to her, told her he was staying at my house for the night. At four a.m. he came stumbling into my room hurt, he told me about a new dangerous criminal who he ran into. As he was explaining what happened, as I was helping clean his wounds that would take longer to heal, I found myself crying. That night Peter admitted he almost lost his life, I felt the same heartache I felt on Homecoming night. I hate the fact that one day, one terrible, soul crushing day, I will hear about Spider-Man's death on tv. The identity of Peter Parker would hold respect unlike before, and that day is the day I lose hope.   
  
I was crying so much that what I was doing to help Peter became fruitless considering how much I was shaking. He hushed me, whispered soothing words to me,   
  
"I'm here, I'm here. I'm not gone. I'll always be here."   
  
Somewhere in the mix of it all, I had clung onto his head, holding it as if his life depended on my touch. He had his arms wrapped around me, patting my back, still whispering to me that he was okay. I was embarrassed at my breakdown, Peter's life had been in danger, and here he was comforting me as if mine was the one on the line that night.   
  
Eventually my racing thoughts ceased to exist, I was still holding onto Peter, but I wasn't shaking uncontrollably, nor was crying on his shoulder. I hadn't noticed his own tears until mine had stopped, when I pulled back I saw them and wiped them away.   
  
"Ned, I thought I was going to die- I thought-" He broke down crying, my hands had fallen to his back, I held onto him tightly. Whispering back his own words, before he hadn't cried due to the adrenaline high he was on at the time, now he's relaxed and it was hitting him all at once.   
  
"Ned, I thought I had lost you forever." Peter cried into my shirt, clinging on me as if I would disappear any second. I've always thought of how it would affect me if I lost Peter, never once had I thought what Peter would feel. I'm always on the safer side, he's the one whose in danger more than half of the time.   
  
He still had tears falling down his face when his hands found their way into my hair, and lifted his head up to see me.   
  
"Ned, I can't lose you. I just can't." He told me, I moved my hands back up to his hair. I looked him in the eyes, and it felt like we had an unspoken conversation. Both of us understood that the loss of losing each other would be unbearable but inevitable. Whether we let go now, or later, it'll hurt like Hell. So rather than miss out on the chance of being happy now and miserable later, or protect ourselves so it hurts less later on, we chose to be happy.   
  
I felt like I was on cloud nine when his lips met mine, although they felt chapped, and were busted slightly from his fight, it felt perfect. Peter had ended up straddled on my lap, I held him there while being mindful of his injuries. The kiss itself was clumsy, rushed, desperate, and incredibly inexperienced, but it was important to the both of us. The rest of the night was filled with kisses and tears, promises that neither of us would be able to keep. The one promise we could was we'd love each other until the day we died, the others were out of our control. 

 

 

  
  
The next day we went on a date, it was just a day out in New York, but it was amazing. We took advantage of the fact that we could hold holds, ask for kisses from each other, it felt as if we had been a couple from day one. There wasn't any nervousness, no anxiety of what the other person thought, we knew each other better than we knew ourselves. Over the years our relationship formed into something new as we dated, he felt like home. It was apparent to anyone that neither of us were planning on letting go of each other, not for a very long time. We were always aware of the fact that tomorrow wasn't guaranteed, we never took each other for granted. However no matter how much I mentally prepared myself for the day I would lose Peter, the day I did, it was heartbreaking.   
  
With two words, two simple words, my entire world came crashing down.   
  
"Whose Peter?" Losing him to death is one thing, losing him to memory loss was a completely different thing.   
  
He was trying to do a trick he had been practicing, I asked him not to, I had a bad feeling, he was laughing and enjoying himself when he slipped. He fell from a high place onto concrete, I rushed over relieved to see no blood, yet that feeling wasn't gone. He was passed out, when he woke up a few seconds after my pleads to get up, to be alright, I had asked,  
  
"Peter, are you okay?" After a trip to urgent care, it was revealed he had lost his memory. It was like a blank canvas now. He didn't look the same, he wasn't the same. It hurt like Hell the first couple of weeks. Every step forward was two steps back with him regaining his memory. We had to take it easy, I stayed by his side as much as I was allowed. 

 

 

  
Peter was frustrated at himself for not being able to remember who I was. He remembered May, Mj, Liz, Tony, Happy, Pepper, Flash, our old high school teachers, to our professors, his classmates, he even remembered his parents. Yet he couldn't remember me. It hurt, but it didn't hurt me as much as it did him.   
  
"Peter, relax, it's fine." I would tell him as he cried in frustration, he knew my name, my face, he knew I meant something to him, but he couldn't remember what.   
  
"It's not. It's not fine Ned. Why can't I remember you? Why can't I remember my best friend? The person whose been by my side this entire time. You're the only reason I was able to remember everyone else. So why can't I remember you?" He would cry, I kept my distance knowing being close to him would only worsen his emotions.   
  
"I don't know." I would tell him, I tried telling him myself what I was to him, however he stopped be before I could. It didn't feel real unless he remembered it for himself. Others tried to tell him as well but he would shut them down before they could. 

 

 

 

Years went by and he still couldn't remember. He resumed back to being Spider-Man, he went back to his old routine, and still was friends with me. However the relationship we had before was gone. I couldn't move on. I still held onto hope no matter what others told me. I promised him that I would love him until my last breath, regardless if he remembers, I was going to keep the promise.   
  
He did move on, he went out with different people while I stayed quiet about what we were. He went out with Michelle, he went out with a guy named Harry, almost went out with a guy named Harley but they found it to be too weird. He even went out with Flash at one point. There were different flings here and there, names I didn't remember. They never lasted long, Peter hated he never felt connected.   
  
"It feels like there's someone who I know, someone who I have a connection to. Someone who I love, well loved. Do I have a girlfriend or a boyfriend that I'm not aware of?" He asked me one day after another failed date. As much as I wanted to tell him yes, I didn't. I didn't want to force him to feel that way about me. If he remembers it has to be from his own memory, so I told him no. 

  

 

  
Years had passed, both of us were well into adulthood, I didn't live close to Peter anymore. It hurt too much to stay close, knowing he'd never remember what we had. He'd never remember that day full of promises, promises that I had thought at the time were somewhat possible. I knew now that none of them were.   
  
As I was making dinner, already planning to go to bed early, my week had been incredibly hectic, I heard a knock on my window. I walked over, surprised to see Peter. We hardly talk anymore, and it was pouring, I let him in immediately, and got him a towel.   
  
"Peter what are you doing here?" I asked him in my haste to prevent him from getting sick. He didn't answer me, he just looked down at the my floor as I rushed him around to get into warm, dry clothes. When I had him in a different set of clothing, at my table, with a plate in front of him, his stomach had rumbled loudly, he finally looked up, still not eating, and I saw pain in his eyes.   
  
"Ned. I'm sorry."   
  
"It's fine, I don't know why you were out in the rain, especially at this hour-"  
  
"No, that's not what I'm sorry for." He said, tears threatening to fall. I was confused, there wasn't anything he could possibly be sorry for. The last time we spoke, it was rushed on my part, but it was pleasant.   
  
"I- how did I- Ned, before I lost my memory, were we together?" He asked, it sounded so hopeful with a layer of hurt. It caught me off guard, I had long ago lost hope of him remembering our relationship. I still loved him dearly, but I didn't think it could ever be reciprocated back. He had gotten out of his chair and moved closer to me. I didn't look at him, nor respond.   
  
"Ned, were you my first love?" He asked, tears were now down his face, I wanted to cry myself but refused to. I didn't want to hope again. I didn't want to believe in what I used to dream and hope for.   
  
He ended up right next to me, and his hands were on my face, he directed my face towards his. I looked into his eyes, and I saw what I hadn't seen in years. What I had lost when we were teens. I saw Peter again. I couldn't keep the tears from falling anymore.   
  
"I'm so sorry Ned. I should've remembered. I should've let you tell me." He said, voice breaking, I brought my hands up to his hands and pulled them away from my face.   
  
"Peter. I can't- I love you so much. More than you know, but it hurts too much-" I couldn't finish my sentence, it was stuck in my throat. Peter looked down at the ground.   
  
"I'm sorry." He apologized again, I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around him, to kiss him, to hold him like I used to. However that ship had sailed a long time ago. It just wouldn't work anymore.   
  
"Ned, can I please kiss you? I just- I need to remember what it feels like. I know you don't want this anymore but-"  
  
"I do Peter, God I do, but losing you once- I can't do this. I can't put myself through that again. I will always love you, but if I lose you again like I lost you before, I can't promise I'll be okay afterwards." I told him, he was still crying, I can't imagine what he had to be feeling. He finally remembers, but it's not what he remembered.   
  
"I should go." Peter said, I stopped him. I didn't know where he was going to go, I didn't know what he was going to do, my gut feeling was telling me it wasn't safe.   
  
"Stay for the night Peter. It's pouring out there, it'll be safer. Please stay." I begged, he nodded silently. He slept in the guest bedroom I had, he didn't talk for the rest of the night. I cleaned up the kitchen, and did as I planned to do before the surprise, I went to bed early.   
  
In the morning, he was in his clothes once again, the rain had stopped, and after a shared look of hurt, he left. Later when I turned on the news I found out his apartment had been destroyed, if he had went home last night, he wouldn't have woken up today and I have a feeling he wouldn't have minded.   
  
We kept our distance for a long time after that, it hurt us both to be close to each other. It was hard to explain to people why it just couldn't be. They didn't understand and often times tried to get us back together, their plans never worked.   


 

 

"Ned, it's good to see you." Peter greeted with a hug, I hugged him back smiling.   
  
"It's good to see you too Pete." I said, we parted ways afterwards having to greet others as more guests arrived. Pepper was hosting a New Year's Eve Party for all the employees, she also invited friends, and close family members. She had been pushing for me to go, I wasn't planning on going however she used the May card. May had asked me to come, Pepper knowing I couldn't say no to May, I agreed. 

  
  
Showing up, I was happy to come. Work has been stressful, it was nice to relax. I talked to old friends, and made more connections for the company until Pepper caught me and told me no more working. I was having so much fun enjoying myself, I was surprised to hear it was almost midnight.

Pepper had everyone gather around close for the countdown, it was going to begin in a minute. This gave people time to find who they were going to kiss, time for them to get ready for said kiss, and time for Pepper's plan.

As I was waiting with everyone to do the countdown, I heard several gasps, all looking up. There was none other than Peter Parker, dressed as Spider-Man, slowly lowering himself down from the ceiling, using a web. 

  
Unshockingly he ended up right in front of me, and had half of his mask up. His eyes and most of his nose were hidden, but anyone who knew Peter well could tell it was him. The countdown began.   
  
"10..." Peter was now at eye level, "9..." he swung forward slightly and his hands landed on my face. "8..."

He was smiling as I brought my own hands up to his face. "7..." I found myself smiling at what was to come at the end of the countdown.

"6..." Peter lowered himself down a little more, "5..." if we moved any closer our lips would meet, "4..." he adjusted our hands at the weird angle, "3..." we both whispered, now joining into the countdown.

"2..." I stepped a little closer, our lips brushed against each other, "1..." was whispered before our lips met again.

It was difficult to fully makeout with Peter being upside down, but we worked with it. The emotion that had been building up ever since the day he lost his memory was poured out in the clumsy kiss.

I hadn't noticed Peter's hands hooking under my arms. We were still kissing when he slowly brought us up, away from the crowd. People cheered as they caught on to what was happening. Peter wrapped a web around me to secure me, we pulled pack when we were well off the ground. Peter fixed himself so he wasn't hanging upside down anymore, and swung us to a close by banister. He got us safely onto the ground and led me outside onto a balcony.   
  
No one else was outside, it was just the two of us, Peter took off his mask, and grabbed my hands.   
  
"I still love you Ned." Peter said as he took a step towards me, closing the gap that was between us.   
  
"I still love you Peter." I whispered, as I saw him lean in for another kiss, I found myself leaning in as well.

It was just like that night when we first got together, the kiss was an agreement that we were eventually going to lose each other, but until that day happened, we were going to make use of our time together. The kiss wasn't clumsy or inexperienced like our first, it wasn't desperate and needy. It was slow and tender, it felt like we had all the time in the world as we kissed. When we pulled away, there was no need for a discussion, no need to ask now what. Peter ditched the suit before we went back in, we said a couple of goodbyes before we left.   
  
That night we went to my apartment, we kissed the entire night and held each other. This time we made promises we could keep. Such as a promise to marry. A promise to adopt, and a promise to never let each other forget our love. 

  
  
July 28th, we accomplished our first promise. Pepper had planned it most of it, along with the help of my mom and May. It was beautiful and a day I hope to never forget. 

  
  
Two years later on May 29th, we fulfilled our second promise with a baby girl, and a baby boy. Who grew up with the best superhero as a dad. Who also ended up trying to follow in his footsteps, but after it being too dangerous, found other ways to help. Until they eventually created their own suits that protected them. 

  
  
As for the last promise, it was never needed to be said. We never forgot each other, not even when Peter passed on first. I still remembered and loved him, all the way up to my own last breath.


End file.
